Thank you for your interest in the Natural Medicine approach to treating disease and healthy living! Caring Medical is currently a full time Prolotherapy doctor's office, headed by Ross Hauser, MD and we are blessed to fill the needs of patients seeking an alternative to surgery. We are accepting new patients and athletes suffering from chronic pain, sports injuries, and arthritis for treatment with Prolotherapy. Due to this large demand in Prolotherapy, we are not currently accepting new patients for natural medicine conditions, this includes autoimmune conditions, weight loss, menopause, hormones, or cancer. Through the years, we have seen so many lives turn around for the better with some of the methods discussed on this page, and encourage you to seek a Natural Medicine practitioner at www.acam.org.
The Response of Traditional Medicine
Adrenal insufficiency is typically treated with a combination of corticosteroid drugs. For example, prednisone will be prescribed orally, or may even be given intravenously depending on the severity of the condition. This treatment is usually required for the rest of the individual’s life, with the dosage depending on how much stress, extra illness or injury the patient experiences. In addition, most patients also take daily doses of fludrocortisone to help restore the body’s normal excretion of sodium and potassium. The problem with this approach is that it does nothing to relieve the underlying cause of adrenal insufficiency.
Caring Medical's Natural Medicine Approach to Adrenal Insufficiency
A better approach, in our opinion, is to get at the root of the condition. In addition to measuring adrenal gland blood hormone levels, as traditional medical practitioners do, natural medicine practitioners, such as us at Caring Medical, also perform a salivary hormone panel to check cortisol levels. This additional test will reveal the level of free hormones available to work and act in the body. To increase the sensitivity of this test, salivary hormone levels are often checked at various times during the day to get a complete assessment of adrenal gland function. If levels are low and adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed, natural hormone supplements such as DHEA may be started. The thyroid is also tested to determine the role of autoimmunity in this condition. If the adrenal insufficiency is the result of antibodies attacking the adrenal gland, Addison's Disease may be diagnosed and treated accordingly. In addition, diagnostic tests for Diabetes Insipidus may be conducted to rule out this disease.
In those cases where stress plays a key role in the condition, counseling and lifestyle adjustments are explored and encouraged. Blood sugar levels and allergies are also checked to evaluate the patient’s diet. A hyperallergenic diet as well as one higher in protein and lower in carbs, as detailed in the Lion or Otter Hauser Diet, is recommended as needed. Adrenal gland hormone production is also dependent on various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, pantothenic acid and thiamine, all of which may be supplemented in high doses. Adaptogenic herbs may also be used to help the body cope with stress. Asian and Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha and licorice root, to name a few, have been found to be effective.
If left untreated, adrenal insufficiency may lead to syndrome H, a condition characterized by hypoglycemia, hypocortisolism, and hypoimmunity and, eventually, chronic fatigue syndrome. However, using comprehensive testing as well as appropriate treatment options in order to treat concomitant conditions of adrenal insufficiency, the natural medicine approach can often resolve adrenal insufficiency.
More specifics on our approach to treating your condition:
The Hauser Diet® Natural Medicine Program This program is designed for the person who has a chronic condition such as adrenal insufficiency and is ready to take a serious step in getting to the root cause of their condition. Ross Hauser, MD and Marion Hauser, MS, RD have developed this program over years of experience in both the traditional and natural medicine fields. There are four programs and each is priced as a package. As a New Patient, the individual tests and consultations each play a significant role in the program. In other words, we use the minimum number of tests that will tell us the maximum amount of information, to help you attain optimum health. That is what the Hauser Diet® Natural Medicine Program is all about. Some individuals may require additional laboratory tests, but most just need the program as discussed here.
Good Candidates for our Natural Medicine Program include patients who want to seriously utilize the principles of the Hauser Diet®, are motivated to make necessary lifestyle modifications, are willing to start an aggressive herbal program as needed, and in some cases, take natural hormone replacement, or do other natural medicine modalities as needed.
If you are interested in more information about our natural medicine program, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hauser, please contact Caring Medical at 708-848-7789 or online using our contact form.
